Johnstown man enters Alford plea to indecent assault

Faces up to four decades behind bars

SOMERSET — A 45-year-old Johnstown man charged with assaulting a young girl during a five-year period entered a plea Thursday to 10 counts of indecent assault.

Albert Earl Anderson Jr., Govier Lane, who faces a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison and $100,000 in fines when he is sentenced June 19, began sexually assaulting the girl a few days after her 11th birthday, Conemaugh Township police said.

According to court documents, Anderson assaulted the girl between December 2007 and January. He would take the girl to the basement of a Conemaugh Township home. He would kiss and inappropriately touch her, police said. The girl told police she would wake up and Anderson would be performing a sex act on her, police said.

Initially, Anderson was charged with 50 counts of indecent assault of someone less than 13 years old, 50 counts of indecent assault, 10 counts of corruption of minors and one count of indecent assault when the victim is unaware.

Anderson took what is known as a Alford plea. In this plea, the defendant does not admit guilt, but admits that sufficient evidence exists for a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty.

President Judge John M. Cascio told Anderson that he will undergo an evaluation by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board to see if he meets the criteria required by Megan's Law to qualify as a sexually violent predator.

"Minimum you will have to register (his address with state police) is 15 years, and after the assessment if it is found by this court that you qualify as a sexually violent predator then you will have to register for your lifetime," the judge told Anderson.